New cattlemen

[bgc]

The other day I was at our local barn and overheard the owner of the sale barn in a heated discussion after the sale with a seller. After asking some questions I later found out that the seller was a new cattleman and he had just sold his first lot of calves. He was outraged when he didnt top the market. He had bought a great set of heifers that were AI bred and he managed them the way he thought best and sold the steers weighing around 500lbs. I saw the calves sell and they were nice calves, but they werent anything special. After getting all the facts and thinking about the situation I was mad. That guy was probably in his 40's and had lots of money and he had the audacity to get mad about not topping the market when he had went out and bought the best he could find. He had no reputation for producing quality cattle, in fact no reputation for producing cattle at all, and he expected to compete with some of the best cattlemen in the area that have been doing things right for a number of years. I was extremely agitated about the situation and other situations that I have seen like this in the past. I never said anything to the man, the owner of the sale barn did a pretty good job of telling him how it was.

I just wanted to post this on here and see if anyone else has had any experiences like this and their take on the situation.

 

[myersfarm]

I agree...a new guy might say they were weaned 60 days and had 3 rounds of shots..because that brings the best price..... and had only bought the best cows

 

[RSL]

If they are his first group of calves, how is a buyer supposed to know they are the best? Obviously no one has fed out his cattle before.
A reputation is earned both good and bad and a bad one is certainly easier to obtain. If you saw/overheard, what does he think a long term buyer who has a relationship with the sale barn might do that overheard.
I know what I would do. I would talk with my checkbook and a very small check.
If he didn't like the sale barn price and wanted more control he could market them privately.

 

[bgc]

I agree wholeheartedly with what you have said. Me and my family have been selling cattle there for almost 50 years and we almost always are the top of the sale or very near the top, but it has taken a long time to get there. I wanted to say something to that guy really bad, but I have learned that it is better to not burn bridges that you dont have to, and I was mad enough that day that I would have burnt that bridge to the ground.

 

[leanin' H]

I think we all need to re-act like you did bgc. I know i've got a bow in my neck and said something i ended up regretting later. It's usually better to stop and think first. Easier said than done for me though. As far as your salebarn story, some folks are just smarter/better than the rest of us! :roll: Those folks come in all shapes and sizes and in all vocations. They generally end up discusted a lot as us dumber guys get more money than them year after year. What those types fail to realize and probably never learn is that TRUST is a giant factor in any business relationship. That comes with time and dedication. Big talk and bluster only destroys trust. To me the formula might look something like this......Hard work+dedication+intelligence=footinthedoor. Footinthedoor+honesty+time=The beginning of trust. It works a little different with every situation but shortcuts usually lead you astray. My opinion is free and probably worth as much. I respect you for having the self-control to think something and not say it. :wink: